Leela Denver

05/25/2026

Free and open to all! We warmly invite you to join the University of Denver’s North Indian Classical Ensemble for a vibrant evening of rhythm, melody, and movement. The concert features esteemed senior vocalist Joginder Singh Virdi, accompanied by tabla artist Nabin Shrestha, and kathak dancers from across the Front Range, led by NICE founder Dr. Sarah Morelli and Shilpi Nikhil.
📍 Hamilton Hall, Lamont School of Music
2344 E. Iliff Ave., Denver
📅 Friday, June 5, 2026
🕢 7:30 PM
🎟 Free Admission
Please join us for this special celebration of music, dance, and community!

04/25/2026

📖 From New Jersey Lifestyle Magazine:
Indian Kathak dance interpreter Sarah Morelli is part of the five-member Temporal Taal Collective, fusing Indian classical music, jazz and global influences in its “Nightfall Rhapsody” for the May 2 and 3, 2026 concerts with Bay Atlantic Symphony. The Collective brings together the soulful sounds of bansuri, tabla, bass and guitar, paired with the intricate footwork, dynamic spins, and expressive storytelling of Kathak, one of India’s most revered dance forms.📖

💃🏻The Denver kathak community is proud to cheer on all these artists and sends warm wishes for two wonderful performances!

Concert information:
• Saturday, May 2, 3:00 PM — Guaracini Performing Arts Center
• Sunday, May 3, 2:00 PM — Stockton University Performing Arts Center

https://www.njlifestylemag.com/arts/east-meets-west-to-create-a-new-musical-vision/

04/23/2026

🌱We’re happy to be welcoming new students into our kids class! Open to all levels, ages 4 to 8. Reach out to us for more details!

04/17/2026

Ten years ago, Dr. Sarah Morelli founded Sureela Academy of Kathak with a small group of dedicated students at the University of Denver. The aim was to share kathak more broadly across the Colorado Front Range while continuing to support and grow a vibrant community around dance and North Indian classical music.

During COVID, we partnered with Leela Dance Collective artists as “Leela Denver,” allowing us to stay connected, collaborate across cities within our shared lineage, and continue dancing through a time of isolation.

Over the past decade, that community has grown through classes, performances, collaborations, and the dedication of so many students, families, and artists. We’re grateful for all that has been built together, and look forward to continuing to grow and evolve as a community.

03/02/2026

Happy Holi!
Please enjoy this joyful clip of “Holi Tarana” from last Friday’s concert, A Celebration of Kathak. Depicting Radha and Krishna during the spring festival of Holi, this piece captures the color, energy, and exuberance of the season.
Choreography by Pandit Chitresh Das. Performed by dancers from our academy and the DU North Indian Classical Ensemble under the guest direction of Shilpi Nikhil.
Featuring vocals by our founder and senior kathak artist, Dr. Sarah Morelli, with distinguished guest artists Sri Jayanta Banerjee on sitar and Satyaprakash Mishra on tabla.
May your day be full of color!

02/27/2026

We can’t wait to celebrate with you tonight!
A livestream is available for all who cannot be there in person: https://youtube.com/live/8zOm-G-V-U0?feature=share

Honored to be part of this special evening celebrating 20 years of Kathak in Denver ✨🙏
Grateful to share the stage with Sarah Morelli, Jayanta Banerjee, Satyaprakash Mishra, Shilpi Nikhil, and DU’s North Indian Classical Ensemble. See you at the concert!

02/13/2026

Honored to be part of this special evening celebrating 20 years of Kathak in Denver ✨🙏
Grateful to share the stage with Sarah Morelli, Jayanta Banerjee, Satyaprakash Mishra, Shilpi Nikhil, and DU’s North Indian Classical Ensemble. See you at the concert!

02/04/2026

🌱We are happy to announce that Kathak classes are starting up again for the spring on Sunday, February 15th! We have some exciting things coming up this session and can’t wait to dance with everyone again!

🌟New student? FREE open house 2-3pm
📍Denver Ballet Theatre Academy
✉️ DM or email [email protected] for more information

01/01/2026

🎊From studios to stages, workshops to performances, concerts to celebrations, our 2025 was filled with rhythm and joy. Excited to share many more Kathak moments in the upcoming year! 🎊

11/28/2025

Glimpses from the Temporal Taal Collective’s performance at The Palladium in St. Pete, Florida! Traditional kathak, jazz standards, contemporary Indian works, and original compositions—all brought to life by our Sarah-ji with Anjan Shah, Nabin Shrestha, Amy Shook, Jonathan Epley, and Carrie Jennings.